Hair curling process



June 18, 1940. ss

- HAIR cunmne PROCESS Filed 001;. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. R055 R755 ATTORNEY.

June 18, 1940. mss 2,204,936

mm cunnme rnocsss Filed Oct. 15, A938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. F055 /\/?/55.

ATTORNEY Patented June 18, 1940 HAIR CURLING PROCESS Rose Kriss, East Islip, N. Y., assignor t0 Otto Follender, East Islip, N. Y.

Application October 15, 1938, Serial No. 235,156

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in process for-hair curling or hair waving.

v It is a further object of the present invention to provide an economic process for efiiciently and permanently curling hair of the human head.

This invention is particularly adapted for curling'the hair of wigs and hair attachments for the heads of human bodies.

Itis a further object of the present invention to perform the curling operation under a controlled heat and steam pressure.

It is a further object of thepresent invention to utilize dry steam from an external source, that is, from a point without the apparatus in whichthe hair isplaced for the curling operation.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide in the process, if desired, for the sampling of specimens or samples obtained under the same heat and pressure conditions as the hair is subjected to in the main chamber, and which sampling may be performed without interruption of the process continuing in the general or main chamber.

This invention accordingly consists in the process, more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications in process contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting certain forms of the invention have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an apparatus incorporating the invention in one of its forms;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through a sampling chamber employed in accordance with a phase of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 represents a view of a portion of a screen partition resting on rail with two forms having wigs ready for steam treatment thereon; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a wig arranged on a shell.

Referring to Figs. 1-4 of the drawings which disclose an embodiment by which the process of the invention may be carried out, the tank it which may be cylindrical in shape is supported by the legs H. The rear end [2 is bolted or otherwise secured to the tank [0, while the front cover i3 is preferably-hinged at M and held in locked position by wing nuts l5 and spring bolts It. The tank Ill is heat insulated as at !'l. The steam for producing the pressure and heat may be supplied by a boiler 18. into the tank It by a pipe line 19, in which is located a pressure regulator 2i, and near the boiler, a shut-off gate valve 20. Pipe line It may have a plurality of feeds 22 into the tank It]. Auxiliary devices, such as, pressure gauge 23 mounted on a siphon 24 and a pop safety valve 25 may be provided. At 25 there is indicated a drain for condensation accumulating in tank ID. This drain line may be provided with a shutoff valve 21. The tank It may be provided with a pair of rails for the purpose of supporting the tray carrier 3!, having rollers 32 to facilitate the insertion and removal of the carrier 3i. This carrier may be provided with a plurality of screen The steam passes or perforated metal partitions 33 to support the 20 spirally-arranged hair wound on suitable sticks 36. To prevent the steam upon emerging from the inlets 22 from directly contacting with the top layer of hair, and further to prevent any condensation falling directly upon the hair, a bafile plate 35 is provided. Baffle 35 is preferably arcuate in shape, in order that the condensation drops may roll ofi towards the sides 35.

The hair H is wound upon sticks or mandrels 36 and placed in the partitions 33. In case it is desired to sample the hair without turning 01f the steam and opening the tank, an auxiliary chamber 59 is provided, preferably forming a part of" the rear wall I2 of the tank or autoclave Ill.

This compartment Bt'which may be cylindrical in form has an end wall 51, and a screen shelf 52 upon which the sample hair is placed. A bafiie plate 53 prevents the steam from directly impinging upon the hair. The outlet 5 connects with the main chamber 55 of the tank In and can be shut-off therefrom by means of the valve 56, operated from the outside of the tank II] by the hand wheel 51. A cover 58 is removably placed over the hand opening 59 which opening permits the observer to reach within and remove the sample.

In accordance with the invention, the strands of hair are wound on a mandrel or rod as usual and placed in an autoclave or pressure vessel which is hermetically sealed and steam is ap plied within the vessel under pressure; that is, above atmospheric pressure.

It has been found that the higher the applied pressure (within certain range) the more rapid the curling process; and the lower the applied pressure, the slower the process, that is, the time for setting the curl is decreased by increasing the pressure. The longer the period of treatment (within limitations) the more permanent the curl. It has been further found that it is only necessary to treat the hair under this condition for a period of about fifteen minutes to obtain a permanent setting of the hair at a pressure of about forty pounds.

After the hair has been treated as above set forth it is taken out of the vessel and taken off the mandrel, but, for best results the water or moisture contained in the hair is evaporated by placing the hair (on its mandrel) in another vessel and air-dried or by forced drying by means of a heater or blower or etc.

Instead of removing the hair from the vessel for drying purposes, it is possible to utilize the present chamber H) by turning off the steam through valve 29 and circulating dry hot air through the chamber Ill until the moisture has been absorbed by the hot air, thereby drying the hair to the proper degree.

There is herein provided a process for permanently curling hair in the production of wigs, detachable curls for application to the human head, etc., the hair being wound on a mandrel or wooden stick and placed in a chamber or autoclave and treated herein with dry steam at a greater heat than 212 F. and at a greater pressure than atmospheric pressure. The degree of treatment may be followed by means of a test chamber which is normally connected to the pressure within the autoclave but which can be disconnected from this pressure by suitable means, such as, a valve, whereupon this test chamber can be opened without disturbing the pressure and process in the main body of the autoclave. If the sample is found to have been processed sufficiently, this invention provides for convenient means to instantly stop the processing in the main autoclave. If hot air circulation is employed as a supplementary processing and drying means, this will also have the advantage of removing the hot steam, preventing the same from condensing and soaking the hair when the door of the autoclave is opened for removal of the product.

In treating the hair as above described it will be found that the hair will absorb very little moisture which may be easily dried out. Thus not much time will be required for drying.

The process hereindescribed permits of wooden sticks being used as mandrels.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the screen partition, similar to the one disclosed in l, but having only one shelf consists of the screen 33' resting on a frame 3| with collars 32, permitting the partition to be rolled in or out of the tank (not shown) on the coil In this form of the invention, the hair H is manufactured into a wig 15 which is secured to a wooden or metal head form 16, having a stand TI. The hair to be curled is wound around mandrels 18, which may consist of metal rods, wires, or any other suitable hair curling means.

Instead of placing the wig on a large form as in Fig. 5, a shell 80 may be used, to which the Wig 8| is secured. The shell may be made of wire mesh, solid metal, wood, etc.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is apparent that an improved simple, practical and inexpensive process for the purpose intended is provided. It is apparent, however, that immaterial changes and modifications may be made by skilled persons without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims. Hence, the interpretation of said claims should not be based on the present specific disclosure but rather on the pertinent prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of curling hair which consists in winding the hair upon a mandrel, placing the mandrel with the hair wound thereon into an autoclave, subjecting the wound hair to the action of relatively dry steam under relatively high pressure, sampling the wound hair to determine the degree of treatment, then subjecting the wound hair upon completion of said treatment to drying process while still in the autoclave, removing the mandrel from the autoclave, and removing the hair from the mandrel to form curls.

2. The process of curling hair off the human head which consists in Winding the hair upon a mandrel, placing the mandrel with the hair wound thereon into an autoclave, subjecting the Wound hair to the action of relatively dry steam under relatively high pressure, then subjecting the wound hair upon completion of said treatment to drying process while still in the autoclave, removing the mandrel from the autoclave, and removing the hair from the mandrel to form curls.

3. The process of curling hair 01? the human head which consists in winding the hair upon a mandrel, placing the mandrel with the hair wound thereon into an autoclave, subjecting the wound hair to the action of relatively dry steam under relatively high pressure, removing the mandrel from the autoclave, and removing the hair from the mandrel to form curls.

ROSE KRISS. 

